CHESNUT HILL, Mass. — Friday night marked one of college hockey’s most compelling early-season matchups, pitting two top-15 teams against each other in an early-season matchup.
The anticipation for the showdown between No. 8 Boston College and No. 14 Providence was there, to be sure. The press box was filled to capacity for the earlier-than-usual 6 p.m. start time.
But yet the stands were not filled. At puck drop, the attendance in the arena was sparse at best. While the seats at Kelley Rink began to fill up as the game progressed, the attendance never quite met the hype and certainly fell short of the precedent set during the 2015-16 contest when Boston College sold all of the 7,884 seats at Kelley Rink.
Fans who didn’t attend missed the first career goals by freshmen Zach Walker and Ron Greco in a 3-1 Boston College victory.
Anyone looking for a reason for the time change needed look no further than the far right side of press row atop Kelley Rink, where the broadcast media resides during BC home games. Friday evening’s matchup was the beginning of the America Sports Network’s coverage of marquee Hockey East games this year, a continuation of the syndicate’s coverage from last year.
While a syndicated audience was able to watch the BC and Providence battle in Chestnut Hill. The potential local attending audience — possibly dissuaded by an early start time on a Friday night when many in the Boston area worked — were either unwilling or unable to watch the two teams battle in person.
“I don’t love [the start time.] It stinks to be honest with you,” Providence coach Nate Leaman said. “I’m sure there’s a lot of people in Boston who wanted to get to this game, but it is what it is.”
The energy on the ice for BC largely mirrored the energy in the stands in that it picked up as the game progressed, and incidentally as more people arrived.
It was a game worth viewing to be sure. A game that was within one goal until the latter part of the third period when Greco scored with less than three minutes remaining. Yet the start time may have scared off some local fans.
“We’re trying our best to grow the game,” Greg Brown said. “If we can get two games on national TV, then we have to try and do it.”
Of the twelve regular season matchups showcased on the America Sports Network, all but three are scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m. ET, an accommodation by the league for the syndicate.
Time will tell if local fans will be able to offer the league and its teams the same accommodation.
Hockey East roundup
New Hampshire 4, Massachusetts 1
Two power play goals by UNH powered the Wildcats past UMass Friday night. Daniel Tirone picked up 26 saves in the win.
Vermont 3, No. 11 Michigan 0
Tom Forgione scored 0:22 into the game to give Vermont a lead on visiting Michigan that they would not relinquish as the Catamounts shocked the 11th-ranked Wolverines 3-0. Vermont outshot Michigan 42-21 on the night.
No. 7 Notre Dame 6, Connecticut 1
The Fighting Irish bounced back from a 4-2 loss Thursday night to earn a win against UConn to salvage a weekend split in Hartford, Conn. Anders Bjork had a goal and an assist in the effort.
Maine 2, Colgate 2
Maine and Colgate traded pairs of goals in the second and third period, and Saturday night’s out of conference game in Hamilton, N.Y. ended in a draw. Bobby McMann recorded two points on the night.
Merrimack 3, Cornell 2
The Warriors were able to hold off a late push by the Big Red, as they survive 3-2 in North Andover. Anthony Angello got a five minute major and a game misconduct for “grasping the facemask” midway through the third period.
Nebraska-Omaha 5, No. 5 Massachusetts-Lowell 1
Three power-play goals by Nebraska-Omaha were enough as the Mavericks took the first game of the two-game series with the fifth-ranked RiverHawks. Austin Ortega and David Pope each had two points on the night.
